Herb to Heal
by paynesgrey
Summary: They all have their roles in the fight. Spoilers to some of the later 500 chapters. Sesshoumaru. Kagome. Genfic. [oneshot]


**Written for "Skin" theme at ebonysilks**

Herb to Heal

She comes out of the hut into the quiet blue night, and the cool air nips at her exposed skin under her skirt. She sighs, and anxiety stirs in her blood as she sees Sesshoumaru waiting outside the hut as well, leaning against a tree.

Kagome inhales a deep breath, and she pushes herself past her fear of Sesshoumaru's usual icy disposition, and she speaks to him. "Kaede says Rin is going to be alright with a little time and constant application of herbs. Naraku's youki didn't affect her as much as we had feared, and her skin won't be permanently damaged by the poison."

He turns his gaze to her slowly, and she falls into his steely, golden eyes. She feels an involuntary hitch in her breath, and she's anxious to hear his response. Suddenly, the mighty prince bows once to her, and he says, "It is fortunate you were able to save Rin."

She notices he doesn't exactly say thank you, but considering whom it is, Kagome thinks his response is more than enough. Months ago she would have assumed Sesshoumaru would have left Rin for dead, because she is human and because he doesn't care if they live or die. Kagome has always wondered about Sesshoumaru's curious attachment to Rin, and his fatherly treatment of her suggests he is not as completely evil as she perceived him to be in the beginning.

And she remembers how bad he used to be. She would probably be running around screaming for Inuyasha if Sesshoumaru had been this close to her back then, but now he seems thoughtful enough that she is even worthy to speak to him.

Kagome sighs and Sesshoumaru's gaze shifts to the hut where Rin is recovering from her wounds. By the last battle with Naraku, the number of poisonous burns they all acquired from his youki shows that Naraku is getting desperate, and as they all become stronger, they come closer to defeating him. Naraku begins to play dirtier, targeting Rin and Shippou who aren't as powerful and are more susceptible to weakness. Kagome, herself, feels weak, and she bites her lip in frustration that she could have helped Rin sooner.

"I wish I was more powerful. I was right there," she confesses to him. She doesn't know if he'll listen, but as he makes no movement to leave, Kagome continues to speak. "If I was stronger, like Kikyou, I might have shot off an arrow in time to purify the space around Rin." She turns around to the hut and says, "She wouldn't be in that state if I'd done _more_."

She doesn't expect him to say anything, and she's content enough that he stands there. She's nervous, curious to what he's thinking and surmises that he must think her an idiot - just like the day he had met her. And when she thinks about that, she feels very small. Kagome knows that she's just a small human in comparison to Inuyasha's skill or Sesshoumaru's power, and even sometimes she feels pale in comparison to Miroku and Sango. At least Shippou has fire that he can use. So does she really just shoot arrows that don't always make the target and draw from the spiritual power of a woman who is already dead?

She sighs as the cool night breeze blows over her skin, cooling her hot cheeks as she continues to stand in silence next to Sesshoumaru. He may just be tolerating her presence. He may just be there waiting for Rin to recover, devoted only to her. Errantly, Kagome wonders if that strong devotion runs rampant through his family. Kagome opens her eyes to the moonlight and in curiosity, turns to Sesshoumaru and sees his hair shimmer silvery in the nocturnal light. She gasps when she feels his eyes upon her, and she wonders if he's been staring at her this entire time.

His voice startles her, and it feels like a smooth echo in the night. "You do enough, miko, and you know your limitations. Rin is injured because of Naraku, not because you failed to do more. We all have our roles in this fight." He pauses and glances at the hut once more and begins to leave. "Tell my retainer when Rin is awake. I will fetch more herbs for you and the old miko."

In a sudden flash of white, he takes off into the woods. Kagome's mouth drops and her eyes shine in bewilderment that he even spoke to her that much. What little words he spoke starts to sink in, and Kagome begins to feel that like her, Sesshoumaru is starting to relax more around them than ever before. He is known for his lack of words, his biting remarks to his brother, and his cool, calculated disposition in the eyes of enemy and not enemy alike.

But in a few short moments in the cool moonlight, Sesshoumaru speaks to her as a compatriot of war. He stands with her, worried about an innocent. He regards her as a piece in this huge puzzle to someday rid the world of Naraku's evil once and for all.

The muscles in Kagome's face lift to a smile. She gazes as the forest illuminated by moonlight, knowing somewhere in there, the feared unstoppable brother of Inuyasha is collecting herbs for someone he cares about. He puts down the sword for war and picks up the herb to heal.

_"We all have our roles in this fight."_

She feels her breath charge with invigoration. And for some reason, she no longer feels weak anymore.


End file.
